About this episode

Dr. Nicole LaVoi discusses the importance of sports for girls and strategies to improve their participation.

Participating in school sports and physical activities is proven to boost confidence, resilience, and the ability to work as part of a team. These benefits extend beyond childhood into adults’ professions and relationships, making a positive difference in almost every aspect of life. But the UN reports that girls drop out of sports in adolescence at twice the rate of boys. There are a multitude of reasons for this, including social expectations, stereotypes, and a lack of investment in quality athletic programmes. We know that the biggest predictor of sport participation for a girl is her own perceived competence. So what can adults do with this knowledge, to give girls a fair chance? This episode’s guest, Dr. Nicole LaVoi, offers hope. She shares research-driven strategies to improve access and opportunity for girls. Girls love sport – and if you give them the opportunity, they will play. Dr. Nicole LaVoi is the Director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, and a faculty member in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota in the US. She has co-produced three Emmy-nominated documentaries on female athletes, hosts a podcast, regularly…

People in this episode

Host: Trudy Hall

Guest: Dr. Nicole LaVoi

Topics covered

• sports participation
• girls' confidence
• physical activities
• adolescent development
• gender stereotypes
• athletic programs

Keywords

• girls in sports
• confidence
• resilience
• teamwork
• adolescent dropout
• athletic opportunities

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, International Coalition of Girls' Schools

Places: University of Minnesota

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